I Know Your Secret 2: Foretold
by Lord of the Phoenix
Summary: Sequel to "I Know Your Secret" - Hope Potter gets dragged into more trouble, but this time she has Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant on her side with Dumbledore and his Order causing problems and the rise of Darquesse in the near future, can Hope, Valkyrie, and their allies save the world from a broken light and a lonely egotistical dark sorceress in the making?
1. Secret Reflections

**I Know Your Secret:** **Foretold**

 **Secret Reflections**

Valkyrie Cain felt like crap. She didn't have to feel like crap of course, but discovering you were likely going to destroy the world could put a girl in a bad position where feeling good in any way shape or form was not something she could stomach easily.

She could still smile, pull out the sarcasm and all that, but left to her own thoughts she annoyingly wallowed too much. Or brooded, so maybe she could wear a bat costume. Though, thinking that she did wear too much black.

Valkyrie looked to her reflection. The annoying reflection (of her) that Valkyrie was certain was broken and maybe even messed up in the head. The thing was hiding things from her. It had just stepped out of the mirror to take her place with her parents so Valkyrie could leave the house with no one the wiser.

At barely sixteen, Valkyrie was tall for a girl her age with long silky dark brown hair and cool dark eyes. She would say she was pretty. Though, she would have been more into herself if she hadn't been having late nights and bad dreams. So Valkyrie and her reflection: Reflection? Both looked tired with some dark marks under their eyes.

Valkyrie wasn't sure she cared what her reflection was keeping from her any-more. Did it even matter. If something happened to Valkyrie, she knew this thing; this shadow of her non-magical self would stay – and keep her life. Hopefully if that did happen, no one would ever need know that Valkyrie Cain – or Stephanie Edgley (her given name) was gone.

"I'm going out," Valkyrie said to her Reflection as she started stripping out of her PJ's. "You have to get ready for school," she added as she turned to see her reflection already stripped and she paused as she checked out her own nude body on her Reflection.

Valkyrie was slim with some nice tits. They weren't very big she would concede, but she liked them; they were plenty big enough for her, in her eyes. It meant they wouldn't weigh her down when she was fighting some new arsehole bent on murdering or enslaving the Mortals.

She had some dark hairs between her legs, and smooth everywhere else; her muscles taught and strong curving down to her firm arse. Her skin was likely too pale even without her late nights and fretful sleep, but some people could pull that off, and she noted she did as she was looking so hot and sexy in the nude.

"Are you going to molest me?" Valkyrie's Reflection asked suddenly as she stood straight, totally nude and unashamed as they were technically kind of the same person.

Valkyrie stared for a few moments more while she had automatically pulled on a pair of white knickers and a matching bra, as it was taking a little while for her to get over herself and take in what her Reflection just said.

Shaking her head clear Valkyrie realised she was really staring with way too much intensity at her naked Reflection. That was weird, but she caught herself licking her lips as while staring, which was weirder.

"No. Of course not," Valkyrie finally replied coldly as her cheeks lit up red. "And even if I wanted to do something like that. Your body… its mine. You belong to me. I can touch you wherever I want and whenever I want."

Surprisingly the Reflection smiled a little. "Of course. I do know you. You've thought about it. Quite a lot. And I'm you. So I suppose I've thought about it too. But that is rather egotistical of you to fancy yourself so much you want to… literally fuck yourself. To take your own virginity."

Valkyrie grit her teeth in anger. "Just shut up!" she hissed through her teeth, which caused her Irish accent to thicken slightly. "I'm-I'm not that bad. Just get dressed," she said as she tiredly pulled on her socks followed by black armoured trousers, tunic, and leather coat that hung to her knees while the Reflection pulled on her underwear and school uniform.

"Do you think she'll beat her?" the Reflection asked, once again startling Valkyrie. But at least the Reflection was fully dressed when Valkyrie turned back towards her, frowning. "This other girl from the visions. The magician who faces 'her'."

"I don't know," Valkyrie replied while shrugging. "You know what I do, and we never get a good look at her. But Darquesse seems to actually… I don't know. Like her."

"Maybe you could make Darquesse fall in love with you," the Reflection suddenly said with a nonchalant expression. "After all; she is you; and you already love yourself, so why wouldn't she be the same."

Valkyrie glared for a moment before she realised it wasn't doing anything so sighed tiredly. "One day I am just going to spank you and never let you back into the mirror so I don't have to keep that memory."

"You would enjoy that though, wouldn't you?" the Reflection asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Its why none of your relationships can last. They all think its because nobody can outmatch Skulduggery. They all think that you're in love with a living skeleton, but I know the truth. Its not him they're competing with. Its you. Those boys. Fletcher. The vampire. They couldn't have you. Because you want yourself all to yourself. You want me... or maybe… just want Darquesse!"

Valkyrie moved fast. She grabbed her Reflection by the throat and pushed her up against the door. "Shut up," Valkyrie said coldly, hissing out the words to her Reflection, and for a moment she saw fear in her Reflections expression.

Loosening her grip, Valkyrie was surprised and confused. Her Reflection shouldn't be able to fear her. Shouldn't be able to talk back or push her buttons. The Reflection shouldn't be able to piss her off like this. It should be a puppet to take orders and obey.

Valkyrie hesitated for a moment too long wondering whether it was possible that her Reflection wasn't normal any more. After the torture she suffered in that other dimension and when she was actually shot dead.

She got her answer when she got her own left fist to her face. Valkyrie's Reflection punched her in the face and she stumbled backwards and her lip split as she crashed into her wardrobe, shattering the mirror. The glass pieces fell down around them and the Reflection jumped on top of Valkyrie and they started laying in blows on each other, scrambling around in anger, nicking their flesh on the mirrored shards before they stopped suddenly with twin looks of fear.

It was a knock on the door. "Stephanie!?" It was Valkyrie's mum.

"Yes." They both answered at the same time. They were within each others arms on the floor bruised and bleeding; their identical faces pale and their lips close as they turned to each other and glared the unspoken agreement that they should answer. Both accusing each other of speaking when they shouldn't have.

"Umm… are you okay in there?" their mother replied through the door as she tried the handle but both Valkyrie and Reflection sighed in relief as the door was locked.

Valkyrie and her Reflection turned to look at each other again. Their noses brushed as they breathed deeply while trying to calm down with the Reflection on top of Valkyrie; their bodies flush with each other as they had another silent argument with glares and silent snarls.

"I'm fine." Both Valkyrie and Reflection replied in such perfect sync it would have been hard to distinguish two different people speaking. But neither girl looked away from the other as they continued their glaring match.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," they replied sharply with impatience.

"Okay," Valkyrie's mother said uncertainly. "Well hurry up and get breakfast; you wont have time if you don't hurry."

"Okay," Valkyrie and Reflection replied as they continued glaring at each other as they listen to their mother hurrying away down the stairs.

"Now what?" Valkyrie asked with a tired sigh that seemed to deflate the fight out of both of them as they lay in a tangle together on the broken glass of the mirror on the floor by the wardrobe, staring into each others eyes. But thankfully Valkyrie's armoured clothes kept the glass from cutting into her any further.

"I-I-I want to live," the Reflection suddenly stuttered out as she looked at the shattered glass, lifting a tiny piece to show, Valkyrie. She sat up as they both stared at the piece of reflective glass and sat on Valkyrie's lap, kneeling either side of her waist while Valkyrie continued lying back.

Valkyrie's eyes softened as she looked at her Reflection's expression. "So do I," she replied as she reached up and plucked the piece of mirror from her Reflections fingers and threw it to the side. "I'm scared she'll completely take over. But even more. I'm scared I'll like it. That I wont fight. That..."

She paused speaking as her Reflection leaned down and gently kissed Valkyrie on the lips. Their eyes drifted closed as they kissed for several moments before the Reflection pulled back with a gentle smile, stroking Valkyrie's cheek.

"We… maybe we… you don't have to be alone," the Reflection said softly. "I know who I am. I am Stephanie Edgley. Its nice to meet you Valkyrie Cain… Big Sister," she said seeming to add the sister part as a correction.

Valkyrie just stared for a few too many moments as her Reflection. Stephanie offered her right hand to shake before she took the offered hand and burst out laughing. It only took a second more for Stephanie to join in the laughter, and it took a few too many minutes to calm themselves.

"Kissing myself wasn't as weird as I thought it would be," Valkyrie said with a few chuckles. "But, Big Sister?" she asked with raised eyebrows while Stephanie blushed. It would take some time getting used to the thought of her Reflection as being, possibly being her Given Name. If her True Name could have a mind of its own; why not her Given Name too. "Does that mean she's our Little Sister too? And come to think of it why am I the Big Sister?"

Stephanie shrugged. "You were still the Stephanie Edgley before me," she replied tiredly. "But I think we both need to clean up and get to where we need to be. You off doing the whole adventuring thing and me… school. Wow I'm boring."

"Does this mean I have to start helping with school stuff too?" Valkyrie asked dubiously as she didn't like school, but then she wasn't sure anyone really liked school; it was hard and boring, but at least it was a lot safer than Valkyrie's job.

Stephanie climbed to her feet and helped pull Valkyrie up. They were both sore, rubbing a few bruises and rubbing sore muscles while clinking their aching bones into place.

"Well; I think you'll be okay," Stephanie said with a shrug. "But what happens from here?"

"P-protect my… our family," Valkyrie said after a few minutes thought. "Go to school and be the Stephanie Edgley I can't be any more. You're built from magic… so maybe… you'll probably live longer than normal Mortals. I don't think anyone's Reflection has ever gained its own will and life before so this is all new territory for anyone so lets keep this quiet for now. For all we know you might even gain magical abilities."

"I- when I was keeping memories and thoughts from you," Stephanie replied as she finally admitting the truth. "I thought about that – a lot. I'm fine not having magic as long as I can live some kind of life."

"Its yours," Valkyrie said as she looked over at her – their bed. "But maybe you can convince mum and dad to buy us a bigger bed, so I can at least spend some time here too, and have a comfortable place to stay."

Stephanie smirked. "Trying to sleep with yourself," she said shaking her head. "I know we're hot and awesome and all that but this has to be some kind of mental disorder. Do you think there's a name for it. Maybe you could ask China as she's in love with herself. And she's old enough that she may have seen a psychologist at least once."

"Wow," Valkyrie said, deadpan. "No wonder the bad guys all think I'm a bigger arsehole than them."

Stephanie shrugged. "I have tried to warn you, but you never wanted to listen."

Valkyrie didn't have a chance to reply as they heard their mother calling her – them – well Stephanie. "You better get your book-bag and coat before you're late; it looks kind of cold out today," she said while looking out of the window as it was cloudy and grey.

"Yeah," Stephanie said as she looked to. "So… I have the boring life and you get to be the super sexy Detective Valkyrie Cain!?"

"Don't knock boring," Valkyrie agreed as she turned back to Stephanie as she was pulling on her coat and fetched her book-bag. "I wouldn't say no to a few boring days of no one trying to kill me or take over the world or something equally ridiculous. But just make sure you stay out of sight of mage, just in case they mistake you for me."

"Okay," Stephanie said. "Thanks," she added as she hugged onto Valkyrie. It felt strange for a moment before Valkyrie hugged back and it just fit.

They pulled back from their hug before Stephanie smirked and quickly gave Valkyrie a kiss on the lips. "Call me if you need anything," she said with a wink as she opened the bedroom door. "And I'll take care of our family… and the baby."

Valkyrie smiled slightly as Stephanie closed the door behind her. Their mother was only a month or two pregnant and they were both already worrying. In fact, Valkyrie would have to ask their mother how long she had been pregnant when she got a chance. She had been losing track of time, which was hindered upon more than normal with both her memories and the memories from Stephanie when she was just a Reflection.

Sometimes Valkyrie had felt like she had lived two days at a time, or longer when she was away for longer periods of time.

Sighing Valkyrie looked around at the mess and thought about leaving it to Stephanie to clean up, but Valkyrie knew she kind of started it, and she didn't need her mother coming in while Stephanie was at school. Therefore, Valkyrie spent several minutes clearing away the glass and putting it in the bin before leaving a post-it note on the wardrobe for herself (Stephanie) to vacuum once she got home.

Pushing her hair back, Valkyrie grabbed a hair-tie, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail before grabbing a cold black ring from her pocket and placing it on her left-third finger. She felt the cold surge of power curl around her hand for a moment as black energy; shadows pooled around for a few moments before it pulled back into the ring.

Valkyrie frowned as she felt like she was forgetting something as she pulled on her black leather boots. However, she shrugged as she finished the last fastening and pulled open her window. Slipping out onto the window ledge she closed and locked the window before jumping towards the ground.

With a quick sweeping push of her hands, the wind blast up with interconnected particles, and she slowed to a stop just before her feet hit the ground.

It only took Valkyrie a few minutes to rush to her meeting point and slide into the passenger seat of the large black Bentley.

His voice was like smooth velvet as the driver spoke to her.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "I don't remember you looking anywhere near this bad last night."

Valkyrie turned to him in confusion as she closed her door. He was unusual since he wasn't wearing his glamour. He was thin and wearing a crisp blue suit with a wide-brimmed hat on his head. But that seemed normal; it was that his head had no skin, no muscle, no nothing. It was just a white skull, just like the rest of him as he was Skulduggery Pleasant.

 _The Skeleton Detective._

"What are you talking about?" she asked with raised eyebrows when she winced as she twinged a new bruise and realised she forgot to clean up from her fight. "Oh. That?" she asked while he tilted his head in agreement. "Umm… well, I was just beating myself up," she said with a small grin at her inside joke. "You know this Darquesse thing and this new mage interfering and fighting her and everything."

Though Skulduggery had no visible eyes, Valkyrie could practically feel him rolling them at her. "Well, if you don't want to tell me, don't," he replied as he started the car. "But if you're telling the truth you should probably think about seeing a therapist," he said with a slight joking tone as he pulled the car away from the curb.

Valkyrie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Do I get to kill the therapist after?"

"No."

 _ ** **to be continued...****_


	2. A Secret of a World Killer

**I Know Your Secret: Foretold**

 **A Secret of a World Killer**

 _Kairi. Hope. Potter._

She was named to bring hope to a world of people falling apart in their own incompetence. Or something stupid like that. She would have rather everyone call her Kairi but only a few people managed to really remember that so she shrugged it off as it wasn't that important.

It was only a name and to her people names held no power over them. Well, names did hold power, but only if you let them. Muggles were susceptible to some degree but why bother with trying crap like that when you had curses that could gain the bad guys absolute control over the weak minded.

Hope only wished she knew about the names thing a long time ago as it would have made her life with those awful muggles a lot easier if they actually listened when she wanted them to piss off and leave her alone.

If only the world wasn't so full of idiots. But that was over with. Well, kind of… or not. Hope wasn't too sure on that front yet. It would be difficult to have those people arrested; she figured it might be easier to erase the knowledge of magic from them and making sure her uncle loses his job or something as pay back for being arseholes to her for so long.

However, Hope internally shrugged as that didn't matter too much as she had more pressing issues. Dumbledore was still out their running his mouth off, preying on the naive and innocent, persuading them to join him in his condescending uprising-or rebellion, or whatever it was he was up to that day.

Nobody knew, and nobody really cared all that much because they could deal with some nut-bars putting on some silly protests in the middle of Diagon Alley. They didn't even seem to know what they wanted. Apart from Dumbledore's way, which was-they never said, which defeated the point of the protests, so they were big wastes of time and taxpayers' money having law enforcement keeping them in check.

It wouldn't be much of a problem having to have the newly reformed aurors office getting out and about again to get rid of the moppets if they chose to chain themselves up to building materials around Hogsmead as they had something against progress or some such. That had to be it. But it had happened twice already and both times it took one auror, one wand swipe to untie them and haul them off to custody for disturbing the peace.

Couldn't they just settle down like everyone else and enjoy the summer holiday?

Fairytale Academy wouldn't even be open for nearing two months, by which time its improvements should have been sorted with Pixy Story, and the newly named Hogwarts University.

Hermione figured that giving the higher education parts of the school the old name might appease some people, and it worked. But then some people were much too easy to please.

Shrugging, Hope yawned as she hoped up off her rock by the lake. She had been happily reading a book in the bright sun. But with all the noise, she couldn't concentrate. Maybe she should have let them work at a slower pace, but she had plans and wanted it done before the new school term.

Hope had too many new students starting as it was, having to cheat a little with space-time manipulation magic to make certain parts of the schools bigger on the inside and finding land and building extra schools would take much too long, but something to consider for the future.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Hope let her emerald green eyes scan the construction site of Pixy Story near where she had hoped for a moment to herself to wait and read her book.

"We have magical powers and they still insist on using machines," she muttered to herself as she looked over some of the weird crane things, and heavy duty mixers. "And so many magical people bad mouth muggle stuff, and here they are using it like this. And this wasn't my idea to use it, and-and-."

"I was a little surprised myself."

Hope almost fell over as her best friend Hermione Granger interrupted her self-rant while looking sheepish. Hermione was wearing some robes she seemed to have just randomly thrown on as it was the holiday. So, she should have been wearing normal people clothes or something cute at least.

The robe uniform the school used to wear had since been replaced, so robes were kind of discouraged, but not banned.

Hope was dressed normal enough in beige trousers firm to her butt and slightly looser in the lower legs and a white sleeveless tee that hugged around her slender neck and body with separate sleeves from her biceps, and black half-boots on her feet so why couldn't Hermione (a girl raised in the normal world) get dressed properly?

"Heeer-meeeee!" Hope complained while rolling her eyes and sagging her shoulders. "Robes," she rolled her eyes again as she had even cut her hair into a nest of curves to the top of her neck and long over her ears, framing her eyes, but Hermione only blushed a little and shrugged sheepishly. "Any-hoot, shouldn't you be at home bothering your parents?"

Hermione shook her head while smiling. "Nope. I have much too much stuff to do. I spent the whole week getting chewed out about everything that's been going on and how dangerous it must have been," she said with a short eye roll of her own while Hope laughed.

"And Dumbledore's little…" Hermione paused with an uncertain look before she continued. "I'm going to be nice and call them 'activists' - have been sending out these weird flyers to everybody connected with the magical world, even their muggle parents and guardians, which means warding muggle homes against them. These are the new flyers that came to my house – addressed to my mum and dad too."

Hope frowned thoughtfully as she took the offered flyer, and looked it over. "If you were being nice. Why did you air quote the word activists?" Hope asked conversationally as she looked over the flyer and tried not to laugh.

"I've learnt from the best," Hermione said while giving her brunette friend a pointed look. "Be nice. But when being nice hurts too much be sarcastic about it."

"Well I am pretty clever," Hope said while laughing. "But I must say. It's nice of this… hmmm… what the heck are they calling themselves now? The Order of Order…? Well as I was saying. It was nice of this Order of Order of Dumbledore's to let some children design the flyers, but they should have checked them over first. It says here that I'm thirteen. How bloody dare they? I'm fourteen. And I'll be fifteen at the end of the month. Though some of these accusations… I wish I could breathe fire like that; how cool would that be…?"

"That's what you get out of this? An idiot who doesn't know how old you are? And ideas put in your head about learning to breathe fire?" Hermione asked as she snatched the rather amateurish and brightly coloured flyer with Dumbledore's beaming face on one side and writing on the other, back.

Hope gave her an impish grin that she tried to look innocent. "Na. Me. Learn to breath fireballs, and spit out flame-throwers?" Hope demanded in scandal. "How dare you accuse me of such miss-thoughts?"

"You're my best friend and I know you much too well," Hermione answered coolly. "Anyway, enough about that nonsense. This Order nonsense is more important. They're blatantly taunting the Ministry and Fairytales power over Magical Britain. And I've heard around that the loon, Dumbledore has been sending off things like this to the President for Merlin's sake."

"Oh-well yes. I've heard of such too," Hope readily agreed as she nonchalantly pressed her book into Hermione's arms and began making way for the schools' front gates while Hermione hid the book away with flyer in one of her magical pockets. "From Amelia and the President, herself via some wicked cool mirror in the Ministry. It supposedly works kind of like the paintings that have more than one painting."

"Interesting," Hermione said in surprise before frowning in annoyance. "You've been talking to the President?"

Hope shrugged sheepishly. "So…I figure that's no different than chatting to the Minister," Hope answered unconcerned. "She just wanted to confirm my existence and that I am Fairytale and all that stuff. And then some more stuff about stuff. And that after talking about our loons she said that if we need a little extra help that she'll be happy to be of assistance.

"Relations haven't been that great since Voldemort's first… and kind of only rise," she said thoughtfully. "But I think with a little diplomacy we can change that. But there is nothing we can do about that now, anyway," Hope continued with a shrug.

"According to Amelia, MACUSA is a little ticked that we're letting Tabby off so lightly, even with all of the evidence she has given, considering she dropped quite a load of the Presidents own in it," Hope said. "I don't know why the President didn't talk to me about that. But it's better that she can weed out the duckweeds from the good guys.

"And MACUSA as a whole are wondering why we're letting the crazies run around with Dumbledore spreading propaganda leaflets everywhere they can.

"But unfortunately, we don't know where any of the actual criminals, or Dumbledore are at this time," Hope concluded thoughtfully as she walked side by side with Hermione along the path approaching the main gates. "If we did we could strike at the goons. But as it is they're using normal morons who haven't actually committed any crimes as yet.

"And neither Fairytale, nor the Ministry feel it prudent to become giant turds like Fudge would have been, and twist and break rules to suit us," Hope said before she stopped by the main gates and turned to grin at her friend, and causing Hermione to quickly stop as she almost bumped into her.

"Now we're in charge of the Ministry, Hermione," Hope said happily. "So, we can't do things like that. We must be better than the previous administration. We should set an example for good people to follow or we'll lose them to Dumbledore and his rabble of troublemakers."

"I know, but-," Hermione groaned while making fists and kicked the air in frustration. "You know…?" she asked timidly while looking to her best friend for sympathy, and thankfully getting the understanding look she needed.

Laughing, Hope nodded along in agreement. "Yeah… I most certainly know that feeling all too well, Hermione," she agreed. "But no matter how better it might make us feel. Beating them up will solve nothing in the long run no matter how much easier it might make things."

Hope smiled as she let her thoughts free. "Anyway. I think it will all sort itself out eventually," Hope said thoughtfully. "The aurors have people watching some known flake-headed gullible losers, so I'm sure we'll have Dumbledore and his fanatics locked up soon enough. And hopefully the others will see they were being used by criminals and get on with their normal law-abiding lives."

"Well I hope you're right," Hermione said after a few moments. "But… wait a minute. Where's Ariana? Or Gabrielle for that matter. Gabby's always following you around like an adorably lost lovesick puppy."

"Oh… well… someone gets brave when she's not around to hear you shorten her name," Hope teased while Hermione glare pouted with pink cheeks. "Anyway, Gabby is babysitting, silly.

"They went out with Tabby and Jeanie… said something about a lost bet and owing Ari a trip to Disney Land or some such… sounded like fun," Hope said while pouting. "But I'm afraid I'm a little too busy right now. I'll take them for a trip to Disney World or something another day-make a proper holiday of it. I asked Fleur whether she could watch out for them, so she tagged along too. They'll be back this evening, but we have other things to get on with."

"Well. At least someone gets to have some fun," Hermione said while pouting. "But anyway. Where are we going? What other things are you talking about?"

"Have you heard of something called 'The Cradle of Magic'?" Hope asked curiously.

Hermione showed surprise before she answered slowly. "Well, yes. There are a few cradles… our closest would be Ireland. They're like the magical equivalent of the Cradle of Civilisation… or I suppose the birthplace of humankind. Or maybe I should say where the first… human as we recognise them first show up in fossil records."

"Ah-ha, I'm glad you're such a studious young lady, Hermione," Hope chimed eagerly while Hermione's face fell.

"How the heck did you even know I was going to turn up here? Today? This morning?" Hermione demanded suspiciously. "Y-you were waiting for me? Weren't you?" she demanded. But Hope said nothing. She only grinned wider. "Ahh… you are so frustrating. We're going to Ireland? Aren't we?"

Hope clapped her eager hands together beaming brightly at her friend. "Oh, what a wonderful idea, Hermione!" Hope happily chimed out. "You're very wise. It sounds like we'll have a lovely time together. I've always wanted to visit a Cradle of Magic."

Hermione groaned and glared. "Okay. Whatever. How did you know I was coming today? Because otherwise you would have turned up at my house. Wouldn't you?"

"Of course, silly," Hope said while smiling her widest 'I own your arse' smile that was somehow endearing. "But if you must know. Your mum has my phone number, silly," she chimed out patronisingly wiggling her right pointer-finger. "Asked me to keep you from getting into too much trouble.

"I made sure to reassure her that you weren't running off to meet up with no boys. So, I told her that we would be perfectly fine. That we were planning on a lovely day trip to Ireland. And that you wouldn't give any silly boys a thought with my excellent self for company."

"Hope!" Hermione wined with bright red cheeks while looking scandalised, like someone had kicked her cat a few times. "Why would you give my mum your phone number-and-and… how can a muggle phone connect with one of mine yet. I haven't-this is your doing?"

"Umm… you left the muggle SIM card bit intact," Hope replied while shrugging, but with a huge grin. "And with all of the charms you've used to circumvent the magical backlash. Well I guess that was enough to protect the SIM card I put in. I only tried it on a whim."

Hermione frowned, and looked annoyed, but that was mostly directed at herself. "I didn't think about something as simple as a normal SIM card and having a normal muggle phone number as well as magical signature recognition."

"Well I am pretty awesome," Hope said with an impish smile, "but sorry boss, it was actually Gabby who asked the question. And I apparently talk to myself so much that I sometimes get answered. It's a part of the peril of thinking about so many awesome things I'm afraid."

"Well at least you've given up on that Starfighter idea," Hermione said while shaking her head in bemusement.

"For now," Hope muttered as she grabbed Hermione's hand and started dragging her away with her.

"I'll let that go… for now," Hermione answered with mock amusement. "But anyway. How are we getting to Ireland? And why are we going there?"

"A very good couple of questions, Hermione," Hope said while nodding her head as she dragged Hermione with her down a side street in Hogsmead where they came out at the bright spark that was the Firefly Restaurant in Hogsmead, and straight through the front doors. And as usual Hermione knew she would have to wait for her answers because that was the way Hope was when she wanted.

The place was lightly packed with hungry brunchers and early lunchers-many of which waved to them in greeting, or said hello. However, Hope didn't have much time for greeting anyone and took Hermione beyond the bar and out back. The bar staff didn't even bat and eyelid as two underage girls entered behind the bar. But then why would they question them when Hope was their boss and owned the place.

"Floo-power," Hope finally answered when they passed through a few rooms and into a hidden one behind some kind of security door.

The room was huge, neatly made with chairs and desks, and a huge computer set up of glass and wires running the opposite wall side with flat screens covering the walls. And last, the other side, built into the corner, floor to ceiling was a huge burning digital fireplace.

It was encased in coppery metal with runes running the edge and a small table to the side with a large pot of emerald green floo powder. The fire looked fake but real at the same time. It was both an image on glass and the real thing at the same time.

Hermione laughed slightly as she had almost forgotten that she asked how they were getting to Ireland, and almost forgot that she should respond.

However, she marvelled a little longer as she had heard a few whispers about a newly designed magical fireplace, but here it was, hidden in a restaurant. It was huge, and looked spotless and probably unfinished, which was why it needed floo powder. But Hermione had more pressing things to discuss at that time.

"I didn't think Ireland was connected to our network anywhere but the Ministry, Diplomacy Wing," Hermione said after a few moments more admiring the floo-fire. "Let alone inside one of your restaurants."

"It isn't… normally accepted that we normal folks floo to Ireland, especially from our own floo," Hope agreed with a sheepishly caught look. "But I needed a quick… umm… short cut there and back, so Amelia was kind enough to… assist in arranging diplomatic transport to The Sanctuary in Dublin from here as its security is somewhat better in these troubled times.

"Anyway, I'm to understand that Sanctuary mage are quite a little… different to us. A little uptight, and can apparently be annoying.

"And this isn't exactly legit," Hope continued. "We've lost contact from the Sanctuary and the London Sanctuary has locked us out and wont talk." she added dark and mysteriously. "From what we found out something big is happening. All the psychics… seers on Earth are having the same doomsday visions."

"Say what?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Hope nodded with a shrug. "I know. And it starts there, so all the worlds other Sanctuaries are trying to take control of Ireland like the power hungry greedy pricks they are."

"Are we going to try gaining control of Ireland first?" Hermione asked while looking concerned.

"Oh, heck no," she replied while shaking her head. "Of course not. I want to find one of the most powerful sensitives on the planet and see this future for myself. If this is real… then this involves all of us too, not just the Sanctuaries.

"Well, anyway," Hope cheered smugly. "We have a direct connection from here. So, all will be well. And fun. Super fun. Since this connection hasn't been closed all should be well."

"Well," Hermione said while shaking her head. "A-are these seers the real deal or like ours?"

"Oh, yes they're the real deal," Hope said. "They're not like Trelawney was."

"Which means they've seen what?" Hermione asked in worry.

"Darquesse," Hope said in a sharp whisper, and almost laughed as Hermione held back a shudder. "The young lady who is apparently going to burn the world."

"Do you mean as in literally?" Hermione asked in fright. "As in killing the planet and everything on it?"

"Yes," Hope said with a sigh.

"Then why bring me?" Hermione demanded. "Why not bring Tabitha?" she asked. "You need powerful mage not a nerd like me. I'm book smart. Not capable of fighting a world murdering sorceress."

Hope sighed and rolled her eyes. "We're not fighting her," she said. "We wouldn't even know where to begin. Well until we've been to see this sensitive. I don't expect you to fight any planet killer mages any time soon."

Hermione sighed in relief and gave Hope a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have worried. We're just going to investigate first."

"Exactly," Hope agreed as she picked up some floo powder and threw it into the flame-screen and it ignited green and before Hermione could respond, Hope had pushed her through the flames where she disappeared.

Hope was laughing as Hermione pulled a strange face while she went flying through the fireplace and disappeared before the flames died away back to yellows and red happily flickering in the glass.

"Oh, my poor, amusing Hermione," Hope said while shaking her head. "Just go with the floo and all will be much more amusing. And I will deal with our darling Darquesse."

Giggling a little more at a pun well said and wishing someone heard it to laugh with her, she shrugged. Grabbing a pinch of floo powder Hope soon joined her best friend beyond the fireplace, and hoping they'll be done in time for the others to get home.

They didn't need them turning up to bother them. Or worse ruin the rest of their day discovering their potential future was quite bleak.

And you can't hide for long with a genie on their side. Although, someone should tell that to Dumbledore as he sure knew how. But then, Jeanie could only find Hope because Hope was her mistress. But still Dumbledore and his vilest losers managed to hide from Jeanie's wish magic.

Though, Hope supposed her family would most probably call before they went looking for her.

 _ **to be continued...**_


	3. To See-r Secret

**I Know Your Secret** **2**

 **Foretold**

 **Chapter 3**

 **To See-r Secret**

Hermione was startled in the dark when a flash of emerald light announced Hope's arrival though the fireplace behind her.

"Hope!" Hermione said in worry as the darkness returned and she was squished into the wall by her friend, which wasn't too bad, and Hope was small in the boob department, so she wasn't as squished as she could have been in the chest area, but she couldn't move to even turn around as she was wedged in place. "Umm… I think something has gone wrong."

"Wow Hermione, for a geeky girl your arse sure is firm," Hope replied while Hermione squealed in surprise as Hope grabbed at and squeezed her butt, but she couldn't get away or move in the slightest.

"Hope!" Hermione complained as she tried to squirm out of Hope's grip, but it was no good as they were squished into a space barely big enough for one of them.

"Not one hundred per cent my fault," Hope replied, laughing a little and squeezing a little more to entice another shuddering squeal. "I didn't know that they would keep the fireplace in the smallest broom closet ever."

"Hope!" Hermione whisperingly complained. "That doesn't give you an excuse to grope my bum. And there isn't even a door!"

"Yeah, I figured something was wrong," Hope agreed while Hermione's body shuddered against her as she squeezed Hermione's bum again, but not on purpose that time as she was trying unsuccessfully to reclaim her hands. "Do you know how to apparate yet?"

"N-no," Hermione said with a slight husk to her voice. "We're only fifteen. We're not allowed to learn to do that for another two years," she shuddered and squirmed her body against Hope's and knew her best friend well enough to know she already figured it out.

"H-Hermione. Am I turning you on?" Hope asked in teasing reprimand. "You naughty girl, Hermione. I have a girlfriend. But if you're extra nice to Fleur, she might let you borrow me for a little fun. Or the three of us could play together, just imagine all of the things we could do-."

"Hope. Stop teasing me!" Hermione complained. "I can't help it because you're freaking using a bloody enchantment on me. Aren't you!? That's just the sort of thing you would take amusement in, in a situation like this."

"Well okay. Just a little," Hope agreed sheepishly. "But I didn't have to try very hard Hermione. You're so going to have to change your knickers when you get the chance." Hope giggled as she could practically feel Hermione's blushing in the dark. "I know you've thought about it. You can't be best friends with a super cute and sexy lesbian like me without having fantasised a little."

"Hope, just get us out of here, please," Hermione worried. "This isn't the time and certainly not the place for your silly teasing. I can't move. Can you open the floo again?"

"No," Hope replied. "The fireplace is almost completely buried in brick. I can feel it on my back. And I can't sense anyone around here."

"How are we going to get out of this then?-." Hermione panicked as she squirmed more as her back nearly perfectly flush with Hope's chest and body, but she was certainly stuck and likely making things worse. "We have to call for help. Can you reach your phone and call Jeanie?"

"My hands are stuck to your butt," Hope said thoughtfully. "And without grabbing hold of you fairly tightly I won't be able to apparate with you and trying could lose you a body part or two."

"Well – wait - you mean you have to grope me to get me out of here?"

"Umm… no. That wouldn't work," Hope said sheepishly. "I would need a better grip on you. If I had my hands around your chest, I could grope you out with your tits as long as I'm still behind you like this," she said causing Hermione to shudder a little in embarrassment and it took all of Hope's will power to keep from laughing. "But more realistically. Your wrist, ankle, heck, even your neck or hair would do," she said squirming to slide her hands out from between them, but even her upper arms were trapped by the sides of the walls. "Even just a cuddle would do it, but we're jammed in here pretty tight."

"Hope, please don't leave me," Hermione suddenly whimpered out.

"I'm not leaving you!" she replied reassuringly. "We'll get through this - but remind me to teach you to apparate."

"But I'm not a rule breaker like you," Hermione replied with a slight sniffle.

Hope sighed. "Okay. Can you reach my watch? If you can remove it, I can apparate out and you can use the teleporter watch once you have room to use it."

"Hope I can't move my arms!" Hermione complained.

"Umm… I hate to suggest this but-," Hope said nervously, but since Hermione couldn't see her, Hope let a wide grin stretch across her face as she tried to keep from snickering childishly as she had to lighten the mood. "Can you shimmy your jeans and underwear down your knees?"

"Then you can get a grip hold of my jeans because they're tighter to me than my robe?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Well, no," Hope said impishly. "That could splinch your legs."

"Um. Were you just being a pervert then?"

"Surprisingly no," Hope said, but her grin grew wider as she wasn't being completely honest. "I was going to suggest sticking a couple of fingers up your arse and hooking them in you to get a tight enough grip to apparate us out of here."

"You are not doing that," Hermione said deadpan as her left eye twitched. "For one it will hurt a lot with you tugging me out. For two it will be ridiculously embarrassing. And for three what part of: 'I can't move my arms' don't you understand?"

Hope sighed sadly. "Well I'm out of teleportation ideas. And dragging you out by your virgin arsehole would have been so funny," she said finally letting out a gasp of giggles.

"To you!" Hermione retorted in frustration. "Because you have a perverted sense of humour. I do not, and things aren't as funny when they happen to you. Please just do anything. I'm scared Hope and you're not making me feel better by being so unconcerned and making stupid suggestions. Heck, right now I would let you finger my butt as much as you want, if you got us out of here. Seriously. Please," she whimpered out and Hope heard the sob coming from her lips.

"Wow. With an offer like that on the table…" Hope joked with that same calm Hermione found both annoying and endearing. "Is it okay if I blow shit up and add a voice command to my watch when I get home."

"Yes yes yes!" Hermione cried out as she was starting to panic with claustrophobia and squirm more. "Blow whatever you want up. As long as it gets us out of here in one piece. And add Alexa or Google or something to your fucking watch! But I don't think this situation is going to… you know what you're you. Some shit like this is bound to happen again!"

"Damn girl. When you're cussing, I know you're seriously freaking out," Hope said calmly as she took a few deep breathes. "Just keep your mouth and eyes closed and take a deep breath."

Hermione managed a deep breath and then the ground around them started shaking, and then in a boom the tiny area spread out as the rock and brick exploded outward cutting into the walls and freeing the girls from being squished together. Hope's hands slid free and wrapped around Hermione's waist in that moment as the walls started falling in, and then they were outside breathing in the fresh air as Hope fell back with Hermione in her arms as she lost her balance. But in that one motion a buffer of air managed to catch them an inch from the ground in a tangle before dropping them that last bit.

They landed on the grass verge beside an abandoned car park and took several deep breaths each without moving for a few calm, quiet moments.

Hermione span after awhile in Hope's arms and hugged Hope tightly, whimpering and crying. Hope smiled softly as she held her friend tightly and startled the geeky girl by groping her arse.

"So when do I get to finger your arsehole?" Hope asked laughingly.

Hermione pulled back with wide eyes as she brushed away the tears in her eyes. "Whenever you want," she surprisingly said while her cheeks streaked with heat.

"I-I was kind of expecting a 'don't be an idiot' sort of reply… you know, like normal," Hope said with a sheepish smile. "I wouldn't hold you to anything like that, Hermione. You're my best friend and I love you. I would totally blow loads of shit up for you free of charge."

Hermione embarrassedly climbed off Hope and helped her stand. "I stand by what I said! But thanks. I love you too," she said looking away before turning back and glaring suddenly in a more Hermione fashion. "You could have broken us out at any time and you even suggested-suggested sticking your fingers there and apparating us before blasting the room open with a wide area effect shield!? You can use magic without a focus so easily. I cannot. You should have done that sooner!"

"Well, it, kind of seemed like I should have suggested anything else before something so dangerous, silly. The space we were in could have collapsed in on us. It did collapse on us, but luckily I'm like Supergirl and got us to safety at super speeds."

"I-I suppose it could have gone really wrong," Hermione agreed before turning and looking around. "Where are we anyway. Luckily there's no muggles around, but wasn't this supposed to be the location for the Sanctuary in Dublin?"

"Yeah," Hope said thoughtfully as she looked around at a huge empty lot with cracked concrete and tons of rubble fenced off from the quiet street with warning signs about the dangers and a few signs only a magical would be able to notice.

"I'm pretty sure that pile of rubble used to be the secret entrance to get underground," she said pointing it out with a deadpan expression. "But that explains why everyone lost contact, it doesn't explain why they've gone so dark. I do hope most of them at least got out of there. And the posts say they're relocating to Roarhaven after the incident - whatever that was about," she shrugged. "I think Roarhaven is Ireland's only magical town, kind of like Hogsmeade in Scotland."

"It is," Hermione agreed. "Northern Ireland has another smaller magical only place, and there's a couple of places to shop. But I read that Roarhaven can be quite racist towards muggles."

"Just as well we have no business there," Hope added with a lacklustre shrug. "We're not here to meet any Sanctuary mage. But it could be a new business opportunity to think about some time soon. But let's just head to Cassandra's home for now, and ask her about Darquesse."

"Okay, so how are we going to get-," Hermione began as Hope grabbed her hand and they blinked away to reappear in front of an average looking house in a long row of houses. "There-," Hermione finished reflexively. "Okay, so this is the seers house then?" she asked, and Hope nodded. "It doesn't look very-."

"Magical?" Hope suggested, and Hermione nodded. "I can sense mysticism though, so this must be the place."

"I thought Fletcher was the last teleporter!"

Hermione and Hope were startled as a girl's voice spoke behind them and they spun to see them. Hope smiled widely while Hermione screamed, fell back onto her arse while continuing to scream and point at the tall man in the dapper looking suit with wide brimmed hat.

"Hi there!" Hope said happily over Hermione's continued screaming. "You kind of startled us for a moment. Do you have some business with Miss. Cassandra to?"

"Umm… your friend's kind of having a mental breakdown," the girl said. She was taller than Hope with long black hair. She was wearing all black except the blood red sleeves of her long black coat.

Hope looked down at Hermione (who wouldn't stop screaming) before looking back at the girl with a wide grin. "Na, she'll be fine. We were recently nearly buried alive, so seeing a snazilly dressed skeleton guy is making her think of scythes and creepy black hooded robes."

"Totally understandable." The skeleton spoke with a rough velvet voice as if he got similar explanations all the time. "I am Detective Skulduggery Pleasant, and this is my partner, Valkyrie Cain."

"Its nice to meet you Detectives," Hope said happily. "Especially you, Val-ka-rie…" she purred playfully with a wink that caused Valkyrie to blush brightly. "I'm Kairi Hope Potter, but most people call me Hope. And this is my best friend, Hermione Granger."

"You're the Impossible," Skulduggery breathed out even though he had no lungs. "The Girl-Who-Lived. The girl who survived deaths own curse. So, what brings you all the way to visit Cassandra?"

"Impossible…?" Valkyrie asked in confusion.

"Later," he replied before returning his attention to Hope.

"Oh, right," she said with a small frown. "Darquesse! I totally have to know how hot she is. If she is smoking. I'm going to put that naughty little witch over my lap and spank her cute little arse!"

"Huh?" Even Hermione stopped her screeching to mumble her own 'huh?' and join in the baffled staring.

"Totally," Hope said with a dreamy sigh. "Naughty dark sorceresses like her will not learn without a regular spanking."

"Hope!" Hermione said deadpan as she pulled herself up to her feet and brushed herself off as if she hadn't spent a full minute making a fool of herself. "Not every ridiculously powerful dark witch you're going to meet is a pervert like Tabitha!"

"Are you sure?" she asked before looking to Valkyrie. "That isn't true is it?"

Valkyrie's heart was pounding in her chest as her cheeks turned bright red as she thought about being bent over this strange cute sorceresses' lap with her trousers and knickers around her ankles getting a spanking.

"Umm… yeah. I mean I don't know," Valkyrie said nervously. "I've never met one like that before, but I suppose you could give it a try. She err, might like it-."

Valkyrie trailed to a stop as Skulduggery burst out chuckling causing her to realise what she said, and her blush increased ten-fold.

Hope chuckled even though she wasn't sure what the joke was. "Anyway. I found out about the visions and realised that I didn't want the world to burn so figured it would be a good idea to investigate. Then I'm going to kick the ten billion barrels of shit out of her, put her in chains and keep her as my very own human pet!"

"Y-you're joking right?" Valkyrie asked before turning to Hermione when Hope didn't respond. "She is joking, right?"

Hermione shrugged impishly. "I have no idea. I really wouldn't be surprised by anything she did."

"Are you four going to come in or stand on my doorstep all day with Miss Potter continuing to amuse herself at your expenses?" They were interrupted as the front door of the house opened and a dark-haired woman stood watching them with a smile. "Its so much easier that you all arrived together since you all want to see the same thing. Please, come in." She turned and walked back in side leaving the door open for them.

"Damn!" Hope mumbled as she followed the woman inside and took a look around at all the weird psychic stuff like dream-catchers and well creepy stuff that she couldn't name, but she had normal things like TV and furniture too. "I was enjoying myself."

"I know," Cassandra replied.

"How do you know her name?" Hermione asked as she followed.

"She's psychic, silly!" Hope said causing Hermione to blush.

"And I've been listening to you," Cassandra added as Valkyrie and Skulduggery followed them inside and closed the door behind them. "You four aren't exactly quiet."

"S-sorry," Valkyrie said sheepishly. "But I'm kind of confused about these girls. I thought, Fletcher was the last teleporter. And what's this thing about Hope being impossible?"

"Fletcher is the last teleporter," Skulduggery replied. "And Hope Potter is a witch… no… different type… a Spellcaster," he quickly added as Valkyrie was about to say something. "She was hit with the Killing Curse, which is a different branch of magic compared to ours; it should have killed her, but it didn't. And names have little power over them."

"Yeah, but you can make a bunch of weaklings fear the name of a witch or wizard," Hope said with a laugh as she thought back to the old man's stupidity.

"So you defeated him?" Skulduggery asked.

"Her," Hope corrected. "Purists can be a little… well a lot sexist."

"Tabitha?"

"Yeah, took my blood to resurrect herself," Hope said with a wide grin at the memory. "I screwed her over, but she regained her stolen childhood and she is now in my custody for the rest of her life."

"I see," Skulduggery said with a nod while Valkyrie looked just as confused as ever. "And now you're looking for a new super villain?"

"Well, I kind of like the world," she replied with a shrug as she flexed the fingers of her right hand and the wall to her right warped with a streaming ripple for a second, even rippling the pictures and dream-catchers on the wall before it all went still, looking untouched.

"Whoa, Skulduggery. Did you see that!?" Valkyrie said in awe as she almost teleported up to Hope. "That was awesome. Is it some kind of spacial magic. That's how you teleported, isn't it? You can control space. That's it. Space is your magical discipline!"

"Huh?" both Hermione and Hope said together.

"Mage like them don't have a set discipline," Skulduggery said. "They cast spells. We've normally referred to them as Spellcasters or just Casters rather than mage or sorcerers. Its a more accurate description from our point of view. Most of them use some kind of focus to use most of their magic as it makes it easier to access, like using a computer or calculator to do maths rather than in their heads, but it appears Miss. Potter is quite the maths prodigy."

"Why thank you, Mr. Pleasant!" Hope said happily. "And Casters. I like that. Much more fun than being called a witch or wizard."

"Please take your time!" Cassandra suddenly interrupted. They turned to her in surprise. "It isn't like I could have other things I could be doing."

"Sorry." The four of them replied together.

Cassandra sighed and rolled her eyes. "I can show you what you all want to see. But the visions have not changed much, nor gotten clearer. If you'll follow me, please," she said as she walked through a door to some steps leading down into the basement with her four guests slowly following.


End file.
